Current Meter 2013

In 2013 during the VISIONS'13 Expedition, a VEL3D current meter was deployed and tested at the Slope Base site ~125 km west of Newport Oregon at a water depth of ~ 10,000 ft. The instrument (tripod with red legs) measures local currents and temperatureand it along with a pressure sensor, were powered up and tested through the medium-powered J-Box MJ01A. Power was provided by the ROV ROPOS.

During the test, engineers and scientists onboard the R/V Thompson were able to communicate to the J-Box and sensors through the fiber-optic tether on ROV ROPOS. Data were streamed live to the ship.

In 2014, this infrastructure will be connected to the backbone cable, allowing 24/7 live streaming of current and pressure data to the Internet.

One of the reasons the current meter is deployed at this site is that it will provide important data for processing of seismic information collected by a nearby broadband seismometer to be installed in 2014. Local currents can induce 'noise' into the acoustic signal and the current meter data allows filtering of this 'noise'. In addition, measuring currents at these depths is also important for understanding flow of ocean waters associated with the steep bathymetry along the Cascadia margin.